Hard to digest? Minnows could be above Sheffield Wednesday by Saturday afternoon

Les Payne
Sheffield Wednesday

ON the opening day of this season, League One newcomers Dagenham and Redbridge arrived at Hillsborough wide-eyed (no doubt at the surroundings) and bushy-tailed as they embarked on their great adventure following promotion.

But there can surely have been no-one in the ground that day who could have remotely envisaged that Sheffield Wednesday could possibly, at any stage, find the little East London club above them!

Just days after Gary Megson, with typical bluntness, admitted that the Owls are now in a relegation fight, we have a scenario whereby Dagenham could actually move above Wednesday when they meet on Saturday lunch-time.

Considering that Dagenham are currently one place above the bottom four, it is a sobering - if not worrying - thought for Wednesdayites as their favourites embark on preserving their League One status.

On the other hand, of course, Wednesday could emerge from their first ever visit to the Daggers’ tiny ground with a seven-point advantage.

Firstly Dagenham play tonight in what is a “big” game for them - away to their East London neighbours Leyton Orient. In addition, the club who are one point and one place below Wednesday, Notts County, are also in action tonight, although they are at runaway leaders Brighton.

First priority for Owls boss Megson is sorting out an experienced keeper and then getting down to work on the training ground with the newcomer and the back four - three of the five players at the back being new arrivals.

Last week’s signings, Rob Jones and Danny Batth, linked up as the centre-defence pairing at Southampton and the duo performed capably against a prolific home side,

The height and the combativeness of the newcomers, along with Megson’s requirement to integrate the new keeper within the defence, will be essentials because a big Dagenham strength is at set-pieces and Megson will be taking that into account in his match preparation.